We will be releasing Quarter 4 Progress Reports later next week so I encourage any of our Pioneers who have missing assignments or other work to bring it current right away. I realize that we are at that point where the end of the school year is top of mind at times, but we want all of our Pioneers to get the grades they deserve so please turn in any unfinished work now.

In this week's update you will find important information pertaining to upcoming student assessments as well as Class of 2021 events for our Seniors. Please take careful note of any key dates as they may apply.

We have had some beautiful spring weather these past few days so enjoy it while it is still here and have wonderful weekend!

Ms. Bellinger

Proud Principal

Oak Ridge High School

* Senior Virtual Awards – 3:30PM

* Cap and Gown Distribution

* SAC Meeting – Media Center & Virtual – 4:30PM

* Senior Drive Thru – 3:00PM

* Graduation – Amway Center – 2:00PM

Senior, Michelle Walker is the manager of the annual L.I.F.E. Fashion Flow event at #ORHS. She enjoys the role of manager because it allows her to take extra responsibility and lead her team to success. She plans to attend a university after graduation and major in Exercise Science to become a Physical Therapist. She would eventually like to open her own practice.

Michelle has a talent for making really tasty baked goods. In her free time, she enjoys watching new shows or movies, painting, watching TikTok, and hanging out with her friends and her cat (Roshi). She also attends church, where she volunteers with the children's group.

Oak Ridge Friends is a community service-driven club sponsored by our JA Academy Business Teacher, Ms. Mayra Blackburn. Last year, members created crafts/goodie bags for the special needs students on campus and handmade cards with uplifting messages for hospitalized children across the US.

This year, members are supporting the Ronald McDonald House. RDM was selected because Ms. Blackburn stayed there while her infant daughter was in the NICU last year. "It inspired me to #PayItForward... I wanted the club to help so that the RMD House can continue to help other families." 

Students are collecting travel-size toiletries like toothbrushes, toothpastes, disposable razors, shaving cream packets, mini bar soap, shampoo/conditioners, dental floss, deodorant, mouthwash, and lotions. To date, members of Oak Ridge Friends have collected over 10,000 donations!

CLIP is a year-round, funded program where high school students contribute to research on the social, emotional, academic, and physical well-being of young people throughout the country.

Participants learn about design thinking and psychology research and tell researchers how real students think, feel, and act. This feedback helps improve research at their schools.

Learn more at characterlab.org/clip

Congratulations to seniors Sara Jean and Aravena Denis on their acceptance to the @valenciacollege Bridges to Success Program. This award is given to seniors who have dedicated themselves to their academics, community service, and extracurricular activities despite life’s challenges.

All juniors will have the opportunity to take the ACT on April 27, 2021. Seniors in need of the FSA ELA or Algebra 1 EOC graduation requirements will also be able to take the School-wide ACT on April 27, 2021. Juniors and seniors attending school via LaunchEd will need to find their own transportation on April 27th.

The School-wide ACT on April 27th will be computer-based. Students need to fully charge their laptops and bring them and their chargers when they come to school for the test.

The state’s Executive Order regarding testing for seniors graduating in spring 2021, left it up to districts to determine what seniors needed to “waive” the testing requirements. At this time, we do not know what that waiver will look like for Orange County. The state did not waive testing graduation requirements for any other grade levels.

Students currently in 9th and 10th grade will take the FSA ELA Reading exam on May 6 and 7, 2021. Per the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), no remote administrations are available for any statewide summative assessments. The FSA ELA Writing test is 90 minutes long each day. The FSA ELA Reading test is a computer based test.

Students currently enrolled in Algebra 1 or Geometry courses will take the FSA Algebra 1 or FSA Geometry EOC on May 10th and 11th. Per the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), no remote administrations are available for any statewide summative assessments. The FSA ELA Writing test is 90 minutes long each day. Students will be allowed to continue testing up to half the school day if needed. All state EOC tests are computer-based tests.

Students currently enrolled in Biology 1 or U.S. History courses will take the Biology 1 or U.S. History EOC on May 13th. Per the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), no remote administrations are available for any statewide summative assessments. The FSA ELA Writing test is 160 minutes long each day. Students will be allowed to continue testing until the end of the school day if needed. All state EOC tests are computer-based tests.

FAFSA Help Session Link: https://forms.gle/5kBjBPiW4k8JK1bU9

Helpful Scholarship Link: OCPS Scholarship Link

FSA ID: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid

FAFSA Application: https://fafsa.gov/

CSS Profile: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

Source: The Washington Post - Read full article 

This schedule is based on the availability of the Amway Center during the NBA playoffs or Solar Bears games, and safety conditions due to COVID-19.

In the event graduations cannot take place at the Amway Center, alternative locations will be determined.

Safety precautions will include, but are not limited to, the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, limited ticketing (exact number per graduate to be determined), strict arrival, departure and stage procedures.

All guidelines and protocols are being developed in conjunction with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County and the Amway Center.

OCPS high schools will live stream their graduations.

Save the date… Monday, May 10th at 3:30PM. More information to follow.

Tuesday, May 11th – Media Center. LaunchED will drive thru. Please be sure to have all financial obligations paid in full.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021 – 3:00PM

More information to follow.

All dates and times are subject to change.

The Student Services department has collaborated with the company, Aunt Bertha, to create a customized search engine to help staff, families, and the community better navigate needed social services and resources. The information on the site can be translated into more than 100 languages. https://communityconnect.ocps.net/

The City of Orlando has been awarded $8.6 million in COVID-19 Relief Funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury to provide Emergency Rental Assistance for households that have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

If the agreement is approved, the city anticipates being able to accept applications via an online application portal, which will be hosted by Neighborly Software, sometime in mid-May.

Each spring, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a chart that shows what people earn as well and how many people cannot find work by level of education for the prior year. They released their 2020 findings last week and the new chart is presented just below (read full article here).

The lesson for our Pioneers? While income and finding work are not the only reasons for acquiring a good education and taking advantage of all that Oak Ridge & OCPS offer, one day our students will be out in the world on their own. This simple bar chart, which the BLS prepares each year, consistently shows the same pattern: those with more education typically have larger paychecks and much lower odds of being out of work. While this is not always the case, overall this holds true year-after-year.

Steve Harvey On Friendship

When you’re up in life, your friends get to know who you are. When you’re down in life, you get to know who your friends are.

Mike Tomlin On Accountability

It’s not about what we say, it’s about what we do.

Queen Latifah On Failure

Fear can be good when you're walking past an alley at night or when you need to check the locks on your doors before you go to bed, but it's not good when you have a goal and you're fearful of obstacles. Anyone who is successful has failed before.

Andrew Carnegie On Achievement

There are two types of people who never achieve much in their lifetime. The person who won't do what he is told, and the person who does no more than he is told.

Karen Lamb On Taking Action

A year from now you may wish you had started today.

Copyright Notice

Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Oak Ridge High School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Oak Ridge High School. Please contact Mrs. Laurene Householder at laurene.householder@ocps.net with any questions related to the program.

Oak Ridge High School | Ms. Bellinger, Principal | 407.852.3200 | ORHS Website